A paper by University of Toronto economist Carolina Arteaga and her co-author Victoria Barone has caught the attention of New York Times political columnist Thomas B. Edsall who was writing about the masculinity gender gap this week:
“…an analysis of House elections from 1982 to 2020 revealed that ‘greater exposure to the opioid epidemic continuously increased the Republican vote share in the House starting in 2006. This higher vote share translated into additional seats won by Republicans from 2014 and until 2020.’
“Not only did exposure to increased opioid usage correlate with higher Republican margins; it “was accompanied by an increase in conservative views on immigration, abortion and gun control and in conservative ideology in general,” Arteaga and Barone wrote.